Golf just got better

Golf just got better

By MARIE WOOD

I hit 10 yards farther on each club. When you can swing without having the fear of the twinge at the end, you can focus and follow through instead of adjusting your swing to make it comfortable to avoid the pain,” Coty Bruender says.

For years, Coty Bruender, an avid golfer, dealt with neck and back pain, in part, due to bone spurs. In spring 2022, the pain ramped up when he pinched a nerve in his neck.

“I couldn’t stand for more than 10-15 minutes at a time,” Coty says.

He learned he had nerve damage in his right triceps. He received trigger point injections and manipulations to treat the pain from Dr. Colin Weerts, DO, Mankato Clinic Family Medicine, visited a chiropractor, and went to physical therapy.

“It was improving,” Coty says. “Physical therapy was helping but it wasn’t completely resolving the pain.” In March 2023, the symptoms returned. He was waking up from the pain and couldn’t hit golf balls as much as he wanted.

Coty completed an EMG (electromyography) under the care of Dr. Lisa Davidson, neurologist. This diagnostic test evaluates the health and function of muscles and the nerves that control them.

Coty discussed the results with his physical therapist, Natasha Choiniere, PT, DPT, who referred Coty to the Pain Management Center. He met with Dr. Ifechi Anyadioha about his options and recommendation.

Since Coty had tried physical therapy, chiropractic manipulation, osteopathic manipulation and overthe-counter pain medications without sustained relief, Dr. Ifechi recommended a cervical epidural steroid injection.

“This is a procedure where we inject some steroid around a pinched nerve in the neck so that the steroid can reduce the inflammation around the nerve. When the inflammation is reduced, the pain will get better and may go away completely,” Dr. Ifechi explained.

At Coty’s young age of 34, Dr. Ifechi didn’t like the option of major neck and spine surgery, especially given that a significant number of patients with similar pain benefit from these injections.

“Most patients get about 6 months of relief from this procedure. I expect Coty will have longer term relief of 12-18 months, even up to several years, as the nerve was not severely pinched,” Dr. Ifechi said.

Coty received two injections – one injection through the neck to relieve pain down his arm and one injection through the shoulder blade to relieve pain down the back.

“It was a great experience from scheduling to treatment. They had a cancellation, so my appointment got moved up. When I came in for the injections, the staff and nurses crossed every t and dotted every i. It was a quick in and out,” Coty says. In less than an hour, he was back at work. There was no down time.

Best of all: In the Junior Achievement golf tournament, he played 36 holes, his team won, and he had no pain the next day! And he golfed several days a week all season long. When the courses close for winter, Coty will move his game to the golf simulator in his garage. On Wednesday nights, his neighbors join him for golf league.

“You get nervous that the pain is never going to go away. It’s a relief to be able to do the activities I want to do and have no issues. My advice is to get in, get seen, and come up with a plan to relieve the pain. It’s life changing,” Coty said. ■

To see if we can help you with pain management, call us today at 507-625-7246

To learn more, visit mankatoclinic.com/specialties/pain-management-center